


you were right there for me

by wafflesofdoom



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Comfort, Families of Choice, Family Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-19 01:25:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9411290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesofdoom/pseuds/wafflesofdoom
Summary: robert and liv bond over chocolate spread and the uncertainty of their future now that aaron has been arrested.





	

“You and Aaron always give me shit for doing that.”

Robert looked up from the jar of chocolate spread he was currently spooning into his mouth, raising an eyebrow at Liv. “Don’t swear,” He mumbled, the spoon held halfway to his mouth. “And I bought it, so if I want to eat it out of the jar I will, thanks very much.”

Liv narrowed her eyes at him, her arms folded across her chest. “You comfort eating or summat?”

“Maybe I just wanted some chocolate spread.” Robert shrugged, holding out the jar to her. “Don’t tell Aaron.” 

Liv’s grumpy stance broke, and she grabbed a spoon from the cutlery drawer, digging it into the half empty jar. She grinned at Robert as she licked the chocolate from the spoon, leaning against the kitchen counter opposite to him.

Robert didn’t say anything for a second, watching Liv carefully. It had been a few days since Aaron’s arrest, and they hadn’t really spoken to her about what was going on, not really.

“Aaron alright?”

“Yeah. Why?”  


“Just assumed theres a reason you’re standing in the kitchen alone at eleven o’clock, eating chocolate spread from the jar like you’re a teenager.” Liv smirked.

“Shut up.” Robert rolled his eyes. “He’s fine, Liv. Fast asleep upstairs, nothing to worry about.”

“But theres lots to worry about, right?”

God, when did she get so grown up? Liv was hardly a shadow of the troublemaker they’d first met - she was still trouble, of course, but there was an air of something so much grown up about her now. 

“We just have to take it one day at a time.” Robert said, setting the jar of chocolate spread down on the counter. “DS Wise will do his best for Aaron. This’ll work itself out, one way or another.”

“What happens to me if Aaron gets sent down? And don’t bullshit me, because I’ve gotten enough of that from Chas, and Vic the past couple of days.”

“Stop swearing, Liv.” Robert sighed, rubbing a hand across his forehead. “I don’t know what will happen.”

“You do.”

“Aaron’s your legal guardian. If he gets sent down, he can’t be that anymore.” Robert admitted, trying to gauge Liv’s reaction. She didn’t seem too surprised by Robert’s admission, her brow furrowing slightly.

“So they’ll send me to live with my mum, right?” 

Robert sighed. “Yeah, probably.”

“But my family is here, Robert. Chas, you - Vic and Adam. They can’t make me leave all of you behind, can they?”

Robert wanted to lie to her, he really did. 

“They can.” Robert said softly. “If Aaron and I were married, I’d have a say in all this, but if Aaron get’s sent down, the only person they’ll let you live with is your mum. I’m basically a stranger to you in the eyes of the law."

“You’re not a stranger to me.” Liv said fiercely. “You’re my brother too, Rob. You’re the one who makes me breakfast, and you help me with my maths homework - and you do my head in half the time but you’re still _my_ family.”

Robert couldn’t ignore the way his heart swelled at Liv’s admission. “I know. You’re my family too, Liv, and if Aaron does get sent down, I’ll fight you getting sent to live with your mum, I promise I will. But…”

Liv finished his sentence for him. “But it mightn’t work. Right?” 

Robert nodded. “I’m sorry, Liv.”

“S’okay, you didn’t get yourself arrested, did ya?” 

“He didn’t mean what he did, Liv - not really. Aaron’s been through a lot, and it just all came to a head with Kasim.” Robert didn’t like the idea of Liv thinking Aaron was to blame for the sudden dark turn their lives had taken.

“I know he’s messed up, Rob, but he _did_ batter someone.”

“People around here have done worse.” Robert said, shaking off memories of Wylies, and Katie, and everything else he’d done wrong in his life, every bad thing he’d gotten away with when Aaron seemed to have no escape. “He thought he was protecting a mate, and it got out of hand.”

Liv crossed her arms across her chest again, taking a second to think before she spoke. “I don’t want him to go to prison.”

“Me neither.” Robert’s gaze flickered to his engagement ring, thinking of the holiday they were supposed to be on. They’d booked to get married on the Monday of their trip, getting a 6pm slot.

It was Sunday evening now, the pub quiet, the world around them tired and getting ready for Monday morning to come. In less than twenty four hours, he should have been a married man. 

Married to _Aaron_.

“Rob?”

“Yeah?” Robert hadn’t realised how much he’d spaced out, thinking about Vegas and the holiday of a lifetime he should be on.

Liv looked so small as she looked at him, finally looking the fourteen years she was, finally looking like a little girl who’d had her life ripped apart over, and over again, too many times in such a short life. 

“I don’t want to leave Emmerdale.”

“I don’t want ya to go, kid.” Robert offered her a smile, a genuine smile. Liv had grown on him in a way he’d never expected over the past few months, and he’d come to consider the blonde whirlwind as much his sister as Victoria was. “We’ll fix this. Promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Liv quipped, repeating a phrase she’d clearly heard too many times before.

“I never break my promises, Liv.” Robert shook his head. “Not when they’re to family.”

“Alright.” Liv dumped her spoon in the sink unceremoniously, Robert wincing at the clatter. “Do I have to go to school tomorrow?”

“Yes. Go to bed.” Robert ordered, picking up his jar of chocolate spread again.

“You’ll be sick if you keeping eating that.” Liv commented, a wicked grin plastered across her face. 

“Good thing I’m the adult in this situation then, eh?” Robert responded, shoving a spoonful of chocolate spread into his mouth. “Go on, go to bed.”

“Thanks Robert.”  
  
“For what?”  


“Not being completely terrible, I suppose.”

Robert grinned. “Back at ya, trouble.”

**Author's Note:**

> i would give just about anything for a robert/liv scene in the context of whats going on right now, and this idea has been niggling at me all day in work, so hope you enjoyed.


End file.
